Pyrotechnic match and process for producing same



Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES PYROTECHNIC MATCH AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SAME.

William M. Fredericks, Spokane, Wash.

No Drawing. Application December 14, 1946, Serial No. 716,433

4; Claims. '1 I My present invention relates to improved pyrotechnic matches and to the method of making them.

The customary and standard procedure .for

making pyrotechnic matches consists of daubing onto the surface of a preformed match stem a gob of material consisting of a mixture of bulky and. cumbersome ingredients, which when dry, are

this end.

Since perfection of burning and of color performance is the result sought, only special and new methods of production will give this result.

Methods which resort to the mere soaking of wood or cardboard, etc., in a pyrotechnic metal salt solution will not suffice, for then, the range and intensity of the color in the flame is limited. The white or yellowish natural flame color predominates, so that the tingeing colors are weak,

and are limited to a very few, such as the blues i and bluish-greens, and yellows.

coloration is mostly absent or The crimson at best, only very feeble and doubtful.

Such devices serve better in fire-place and hearth flames, where the temperatures are higher and the constancy of the flame is of longer duration due to the greater proportion of fuel which is present, feeding the flame, in contrast to the instant requirements of tingeing color in a match flame, and the more rapid and progressive burning rate of a match stem. I

Modern pyrotechnic matches, inorder to be accepted by the general public, must be stable and not burn or perform like a firework which burns more or less explosively, scattering particles and sparks in every direction as do pyrotechnic matches when made by following the teachings of the prior art. They must instead burn with a moderate burning rate similar to that of ordinary matches used in every day life. The color effect produced in the flame must be more in the nature of a highly colored flame, instead of as a firework, and by a colored flame efiect, is meant the altering of the u ual whitish or yellowish common match flame, 'toa full crimson or a blue or a green un-common color in the flame.

The ability of strontium nitrate or strontium chloride to impart a crimson color, copper chloride a blue color, barium nitrate .a green color, and sodium nitrate a yellow color, are known in the art.

However, colored flame -matches made by my process possess the following desired characteristics: They do not perform like a firework-they do not scatter particles and sparks in every direction to endanger the face, hands or eyes of the user. Instead, the flame coloring effect is strong and marked. The burning rate is substantially that of ordinary matches. They burn with a good flame, and are fairly easy to extinguish, and will not smolder and light up again spontaneously when once extinguished.

The flame coloring agents I use in my process are theperchlorates of the metals, such aslithium perchlorate and strontium perchlorate for crimson, copper perchlorate for blue, barium perchlorate for green, sodium perchlorate for golden, etc., etc. Small additions of the other metallic salts can be made, in instances where they are found to be practicable and desirable.

I have found it desirable to combine, dissolve or disperse the perchlorates in an alcohol. The alcohols or alcoholic derivatives I use, are those which are not rapidly volatile at the ordinary temperature and among'this class of alcohols is glycerol, the glycols, the 'ethanolamine's, the 'butylamines, and similar natural or synthetic products, or their mixtures.

These alcohols serve the purpose of a carrier for the perchlorates, as dispersing agents, and also have stabilizing and toning effects which retards the burning rate and help to pacify or modify the fiery nature of the perchlorates.

The body of the match stem can be made of any combustible material, but the preferred materials are those with which the alcohol containing the perchlorates will penetrate and blend to form a homogeneous and intimate mixture.

I have found that cellulose acetate, ethyl cellulose, butyl cellulose, and the like, serve well for this purpose. As an example:

Dissolve about two (2) parts by volume of cellulose acetate in about five (5) parts by volume of acetone. In a separate container dissolve about one (1) part by volume of strontium perchlorate in about four (4..) parts by volume of triethanolamine, for a deep crimson colored flame. To about six (6) parts by volume of the cellulose acetate solution add about one (1) part by volume of the triethanolamine solution containing the perchlorate. Stir and mix well. Tint with a little red dye, if desired. Pour out Or flow the combined mixture on to a waxed or metal surface to form a slab, which when dry will be about onesixteenth (3 1;) inch thick. When the solvent has evaporated, the slabs can be cut into widths of about two (2) inches wide on which combs can now be cut which themselves are the flame-coloring match stems, to which the striking heads can now be attached. The striking heads can be attached as in ordinary non-pyrotechnic match manufacture.

Example No. 2

Use the same cellulose acetate solution outlined in Example No. 1. In a separate container dissolve about three (3) parts by volume of copper perchlorate in about four (4) parts by volume of triethanol amine, to yield a vivid blue colored flame in the finished match. To about six (6) parts by volume of the cellulose acetate solution add about one (1) part by volume of the triethanol amine solution containing the dissolved copper perchlorate. Stir and mix well, and from here on the same procedure can be followed as in Example No. l.

Glycerol etc. can be substituted for any part of the triethanolamine set forth in the examples.

Hardeners, stiffeners or plasticizers, such as phthalic anhydride etc., and other agents can be added to the mixtures to give rigidity to the match stems where required, provided they do not interfere with the yield of color in the flame, since the only concern of this disclosure is the method discovered for the production of improved and new pyrotechnic or colored flame matches.

Arrangements can be made to reclaim the evaporated solvents so that they can be re-used in subsequent batches.

Many variations of the construction, shape and size of these match stems can be made, as well as in the proportions of the ingredients used, as can be readily seen, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

For example, thinner slabs can be poured, which can then be laminated with other slabs, or on a support to the desired thickness and for more rigidity, and such laminated structure can burn with a single color such as crimson, for instance. The laminations can likewise be built up of alternate layers of slabs containing different flame colorants so that when the combs are cut, the finished stems will burn with more than one color, such as red and blue, or as red and green, or as gold and blue, or with multi-colors, etc.

The citing of the cutting of the match stems which are held together in the form of combs, is done for illustrative purposes only, and to show how readily my pyrotechnic matches can fit into present-day manufacturing flow-sheets. I am aware of the standard procedure of cutting plain cardboard into match stem combs in regular non-pyrotechnic book-match manufacture, and for which I disclaim any invention.

The mixtures can be molded, or extruded, or processed in any suitable manner to yield round or flat or other shaped or sized stems for variety.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of making an improved pyrotechnic match body which comprises dissolving about one (1) to three (3) parts of a flame coloring metal perchlorate in about four parts of a higher molecular weight alcohol, by volume; dissolving about two (2) parts, by volume, of a combustible cellulose derivative in about five (5) parts of a volatile solvent; admixing about one (1) part by volume of the first solution in about six (6) parts of the second solution; and forming the match body by extrusion, drying the body, and reclaiming the volatile solvent for re-use.

2. Apyrotechnic match body composed of about one (1) to five (5) per cent of a flame coloring metal perchlorate, about three (3) to ten (10) percent of a higher boiling point amino alcohol, and a combustible cellulose derivative binder homogeneously combined.

3. A pyrotechnic match body composed of about one (1) to five (5) per cent of a flame coloring metal perchlorate, about three (3) to ten (10) percent of a higher boiling point alcohol, and a combustible cellulose derivative binder homogeneously combined.

4. The process of making an improved pyrotechnic match body which comprises dissolving about one (1) to three (3) parts by volume of a flame coloring metal perchlorate in about four (4) parts of a higher boiling point alcohol; dissolving about two (2) parts by volume of a combustible cellulose derivative in about five (5) parts of a volatile solvent; admixing about one (1) part by volume of the first solution with about six (6) parts of the second solution; and forming a match body by extrusion, drying the body, and reclaiming the volatile solvent for re-use.

WILLIAM M. FREDERICKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 594,594 Bostwick Nov. 30, 1897 1,824,101 Smith Sept. 22, 1931 2,015,383 Konig et al Sept. 24, 1935 2,040,733 Fox May 12, 1936 2,073,530 Sherman Mar. 9, 1937 2,270,442 Jares Jan. 20, 1942 

1. THE PROCESS OF MAKING AN IMPROVED PYROTECHNIC MATCH BODY WHICH COMPRISES DISSOLVING ABOUT ONE (1) TO THREE (3) PARTS OF A FLAME COLORING METAL PERCHLORATE IN ABOUT FOUR PARTS OF A HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT ALCOHOL, BY VOLUME; DISSOLVING ABOUT TWO (2) PARTS, BY VOLUME, OF A COMBUSTIBLE CELLULOSE DERIVATIVE IN ABOUT FIVE (5) PARTS OF A VOLTILE SOLVENT; ADMIXING ABOUT ONE (1) PART BY A OLUME OF THE FIRST SOLUTION IN ABOUT SIX (6) PARTS OF THE SECOND SOLUTION; AND FORMING THE MATCH BODY BY EXTRUSION, DRYING THE BODY, AND RECLAIMING THE VOLATILE SOLVENT FOR RE-USE.
 2. A PYROTECHNIC MATCH BODY COMPOSED OF ABOUT ONE (1) TO FIVE (5) PER CENT OF A FLAME COLORING METAL PERCHLORATE, ABOUT THREE (3) TO TEN (10) PERCENT OF A HIGHER BOILING POINT AMINO ALCOHOL, AND A COMBUSTIBLE CELLULOSE DERIVATIVE BINDER HOMOGENEOUSLY COMBINED. 